The Blind Date (3 page)

“Oh, I don't think Emma Woodhouse would wear anything too frilly,” Emma told her. “I see her in a more sensible dress.”

“Well, I'm sure we can find something that would work.”

“My mom has the video of
Emma
, the one with Gwyneth Paltrow in it,” Cassidy told Emma. “We can watch it and get some ideas. Seems like her dresses were pretty simple. And maybe we can find you a bonnet somewhere.”

“And maybe a Mr. Knightley too,” Emma said a bit glumly.

“Who's Mr. Knightley?” Devon asked.

“The romantic interest for Emma,” Emma explained. “Like your Romeo.”

“Well, let's decide on our characters first,” Bryn suggested. “Then we can figure out how to get our dates.”

“Okay, what are you dressing as?” Devon asked her.

“Well . . . maybe I'll go as Daisy Buchanan,” Bryn told them. She wasn't even sure if she really wanted to dress as this character. She'd seen the movie some time ago and hadn't liked it that much, but she had recently started reading the novel since it was on the required reading list for English. And for some reason Bryn could relate to Daisy. Maybe it was because they were both into money and fashion and romance. Anyway, since she couldn't very well be Juliet, maybe Daisy Buchanan would be fun.

“Who's this Daisy anyway?” Devon asked. “Sounds like a hillbilly to me.” She giggled. “Like Daisy Duke or Daisy Mae?”

“Daisy Buchanan just happens to be this very classy rich girl in
The Great Gatsby
,” Bryn explained in a slightly arrogant tone. “She's a gorgeous blonde—
the golden girl
—and Jay Gatsby is head over heels in love with her. I'm reading the novel right now. Yes, that's definitely who I want to be.”
Already Bryn was getting ideas for a costume. The book was set in the 1920s, and if she did an online search she felt certain she could find something fabulous to wear. Something that would blow the Juliet costume right out of the water. Or so she hoped. No way did she want Devon to one-up her in this. Fashion was Bryn's thing, and no matter what it took, she intended to look absolutely stunning for this dance.

“Are you getting all this down?” Abby asked Cassidy.

“Uh-huh.” Cassidy nodded. “Devon is Juliet. Emma is Emma. And Bryn is Daisy.” She pointed at Abby. “How about you?”

Abby made an uneasy smile. “I kind of wanted to come as Katniss Everdeen.”

“Katniss from
The Hunger
Games
?” Emma asked.

Bryn tried to imagine her best friend as the character from the movie she'd seen. She wondered if the fact that Abby was African American would matter, then decided it wouldn't.

“Yeah. I really enjoyed that series,” Abby told them. “I've always admired Katniss for her bravery.”

“I think that's a cool idea,” Cassidy said. “I loved those books too. I kind of wish I'd thought of that myself.”

“So you think that'd be okay?” Abby asked eagerly. “I mean, because I want to come dressed in the hunting outfit and carry a bow and—”

“But you could do one of the fancy gowns,” Bryn said eagerly. “You know, those amazing outfits that Katniss wears during the ceremonies. I didn't actually read the books, but I remember the movie. And those gowns were awesome. I think they might've even won an Oscar . . . or they should've.”

“The costumes were incredible.” Abby nodded as she smoothed her dark, shoulder-length straightened hair. “But
I'd really like to look like Katniss when she was hunting or actually in the games, you know? Do you guys think that'd be weird for a dance?”

“I think it's great,” Cassidy assured her. “It's a
masquerade
ball. You can dress up as anything—as long as it's a literary figure.”

“I think Katniss is perfect for you,” Emma told her.

Bryn was trying to think of a way to discourage Abby from the hunting outfit. She really wanted her best friend to come as something glamorous so that they'd look good together. “But it's a dance,” she said meekly. “Don't you want to look feminine?”

“Katniss looked feminine,” Cassidy argued. “And so will Abby.”

Bryn pointed at Devon. “What do you think of this?”

“Well, I guess it's okay. If that's what she really wants . . .” Devon shrugged like she didn't care.

“Then it's settled. Abby is Katniss.” Cassidy typed it in.

“So what about you?” Devon asked Cassidy. “Who are you dressing like?”

Cassidy frowned. “I'm not sure.”

“How about Scarlett O'Hara?” Bryn suggested. “You've already got the dark hair, and just think of the beautiful gown you could wear.”

“I bet we could find a good one in the drama department for you,” Devon said. “There was a pretty red satin number with—”

“No.” Cassidy stuck her chin out. “I'm not a Scarlett type of girl. Actually I was thinking about Dorothy—you know, from
The
Wizard of Oz
. Do you guys think that's too juvenile?”

“I think that's a great idea,” Emma told her. “I love Dorothy.”

“Me too,” Abby agreed.

“She's not very glamorous,” Bryn said with dismay. What was up with these girls? Wanting to be Raggedy Ann and Dorothy . . . or Katniss in her hunting outfit? Why didn't they want to dress up in something elegant and beautiful?

“Well, Dorothy did have those ruby slippers,” Abby declared.

“And why do we have to be glamorous anyway?” Emma asked. “I don't plan to be glamorous as Emma Woodhouse.”

“Well . . .” Devon sighed as she put a hand on Bryn's shoulder. “I guess it's up to you and me to provide the glamour for the DG.”

“Fine, you two can be the glitzy girls,” Abby teased, “and the rest of us will just have fun.”

“Now, we need to talk about the blind dates,” Bryn told them. “It won't do us any good to have our costumes if we don't have anyone to go with.”

“How are we going to do this?” Emma asked.

“I have a plan.” Cassidy tore her napkin into five sections, passing one piece to everyone. “We'll all write our names down.” She wrote her own name on a piece, then handed her pen to Bryn. “Then we'll each choose a name and that's the girl you'll find a date for. That way no one knows except for the one finding the date. Make sense?”

No one argued and soon they had the five wadded-up napkin pieces in the center of the table. “Now everyone take one,” Cassidy said.

“What if we get our own names?” Abby's dark brown eyes flickered with concern.

“Then we'll do it again.”

They all reached for a paper and then silently read the
names. Apparently, no one got their own name. But there were some quiet giggles and exchanged glances. Bryn had picked Emma's name from the pile, and although she really liked Emma, she wasn't so sure that she would be the easiest girl to find a date for—especially since Emma had been acting like she wasn't into Isaac anymore. Although Bryn had her doubts about that. To make this even more challenging, Emma tended to be fairly quiet and shy. And despite her recent makeover, she could still be something of a wallflower.

“So we really aren't supposed to tell anyone who we got?” Bryn asked with uncertainty. She wanted to confide in Cassidy since she was good friends with Emma. Cassidy might have some ideas for guys to match up with Emma. Or she might know what was up with Emma and Isaac, since he seemed like the easiest and most obvious choice.

“I don't know,” Cassidy admitted. “What do you guys think?”

“I think it'll be more fun if we all keep everything a secret until the night of the dance,” Emma said.

“I agree,” Abby said.

“But what about the costume thing?” Devon asked. “How will my date's costume match mine? I don't want to go as Juliet with a hobbit as my date.”

“That will be the responsibility of the girl who's setting him up,” Cassidy declared. “Don't you think?”

They all decided that made sense.

“And except for our agreement not to match a DG member up with Jason Levine, we can pick anyone for a blind date?” Emma asked.

“Well, I've been thinking about this,” Bryn said. “Won't it be nearly impossible to set a girl up with someone she doesn't know? I mean, our school's not that big.”

“Good point,” Abby conceded.

“So maybe we just do what we can to keep the blind dates under wraps,” Emma suggested.

“Yeah.” Devon nodded. “So it's mostly about the surprise, right?”

“Right,” Cassidy confirmed. “Everyone should be surprised—no matter what.”

“Including the guys?” Cassidy asked.

“Ooh, that's a good question,” Bryn said. “It might be cool if we didn't tell the guys who they were taking out either. We could just assure them that it is one of us five.”

“I like that,” Devon said eagerly. “That might make it easier to get them on board.” She pointed at Bryn and giggled. “We can make them all think they're going with you.”

“That's not fair,” Cassidy protested.

“Yeah—what if my date's disappointed?” Emma said. “Like he got me and he wanted the beautiful Bryn instead.”

Bryn laughed uneasily. “That's silly, Emma. Any guy would be glad to go out with you. Anyway, we'll make it clear that if these guys aren't into the spirit of the blind date, then they can just forget it. Okay?”

Everyone agreed, and Cassidy wrote it into the meeting notes. They kicked around a few more ideas until finally Bryn could stand it no longer. “Let's go do some window-shopping,” she suggested. “I want to see if I can find some shoes that would work for Daisy.”

It didn't take long before the other girls got bored with shoe shopping, and nothing at the mall was really suitable for the
Gatsby
era anyway. Besides that, it seemed like Devon only wanted to look for boys. When it was getting close to 9:00,
Cassidy announced that, since she was the driver, it was time to go home.

As Cassidy drove them home, Devon started dropping hints about her hopes for her blind date. “For whom it may concern,” she said, “I will be most grateful if you'd match me up with a guy who is fit to be my Romeo.”

“And I'd appreciate it if my blind date is someone my parents will approve of,” Abby said uneasily. “You all know how my dad can be. Don't you dare set me up with anyone like Jason Levine.”

“And I would like a guy who's a good dancer,” Bryn told them. “And as you know, I do think Harris is a nice guy, but the poor guy has two left feet.”

They all continued to drop hints, and by the time Bryn got out of the car, she was feeling rather hopeful. The masquerade ball and the DG blind date plan might actually turn out to be pretty fun. Well, if it didn't turn into a train wreck.

A
bby would have preferred to find any of the girls—anyone besides Devon—a blind date. But it was Devon's name that she'd picked up on Friday night. She had resisted the urge to toss the paper back onto the table and grab another, but if there was some way to get out of it—or get it over with quickly—she would.

It wasn't that she disliked Devon exactly, but she just didn't get her. Devon was pretty and witty and smart. In so many ways she had everything going for her. But then she invariably said or did something that just did not make sense. Sometimes it felt as if she were on a path to self-destruction. Well, that was probably too extreme. But Devon didn't seem to take life very seriously. Once when Abby had asked her what her plans for college were, Devon had rolled her eyes and said, “Who needs college to become a star?” Abby had asked what kind of a star and Devon had just laughed. As far as Abby could tell, Devon wasn't kidding because the girl did not take her
studies seriously. Sometimes it seemed that Devon didn't take anything seriously.

If Abby wasn't involved in the DG—or best friends with Bryn—she probably would've shied away from someone like Devon from the start. As it was, she barely tolerated her. And now she had to find this girl a date.

“What's troubling you, honey?” Abby's mom peered curiously at her as they loaded the dishwasher together.

“Huh?” Abby feigned a blank look as she rinsed a plate.

“You're worried about something. I can tell.”

Abby shrugged. “It's nothing, Mom. Just something to do with my friends.”

“Uh-huh?” Mom continued watching her. “What kind of something?”

“No big deal, Mom. Really.”

“Abby, I can tell you're worried. And you know what I've told you before. When you're worried about something, I feel worried too. Tell me what's up, okay?”

Abby thought hard. She knew that the DG was meant to be a secret club. But that was so that the other kids at school didn't know about it. No one had ever said they were to keep it secret from parents. Still, Abby really didn't want to confide to her mom about it.

Mom slipped an arm around Abby's shoulders. “Okay, I can't force you to talk.” She chuckled. “Not like your dad can anyway.”

Now Abby felt worried. What if her mom told Dad that Abby was acting strangely tonight? That could lead to real problems. Dad was at a deacons' meeting, but Abby knew that her parents talked about everything. She could imagine her mom expressing her concerns to him later tonight.

“Mom,” Abby began slowly. “I'll tell you what's bugging me if you promise not to tell Dad.”

Mom's brow creased. “You want me to keep something from your father?”

“It's not like it's a big deal,” Abby explained. “But you know how Dad can be—he can turn something really tiny into a great big deal.”

Mom chuckled. “Well, that's true sometimes—especially when it comes to his baby girl. So how about you tell me what's up, and I'll handle it as best as I can with your father.”

Abby considered this. Really, what choice did she have? To say nothing guaranteed Dad would hear about it—and so she decided to tell her mom the sweetened, condensed version. Without mentioning the DG, she quickly explained about her friends' new plan to set each other up for blind dates for the upcoming dance.

“The masquerade ball?” Mom asked with interest.

“Yeah. We thought it would be fun to have blind dates.”

“What a fabulous idea.” Mom's eyes lit up. “What are you going to dress up as, Abby? Do you need any help?”

Abby told her about her plan to be Katniss from
The Hunger Games
.

“Interesting . . . well, that could be elegant . . .” Mom was getting that look now, like she was imagining Abby dressed to the nines. “Katniss had some gorgeous gowns in the movie. Remember the one with the flames and—”

“But I want to dress like Katniss when she was hunting. I already have a bow and a quiver—it's still in the garage, right?” Abby remembered how she'd been into archery after reading her first book back in middle school.

“As far as I know.”

“And I'll wear my hair in a side braid.” Abby reached up to touch her shoulder-length hair. “Although I might need some extensions to make it look right.”

“That's doable.” Mom nodded. “I think you'll make a lovely Katniss.”

“Even though my skin's a little darker?” Abby said in a joking tone.

“I know you can pull it off, sweetie. And I just remembered I have this old leather jacket that might be perfect for your Katniss.”

“Cool.”

Mom frowned. “That was what was troubling you?”

Abby shrugged. It would be so easy to pretend that was all . . . but Mom was being so sweet and supportive. “The truth is I'm worried about finding a blind date for Devon. I picked her name, but I don't know her that well. She's new at school, and she and I are so different, you know? And we're not supposed to tell our other friends who we picked so I can't really ask anyone for help.” She sighed. “I guess I'm worried I might set Devon up with the wrong guy.”

Mom looked relieved. “Well, the dance is only one night, Abby. It's not like they'll be getting married or anything.”

Abby forced a smile. “Yeah, I know.”

“Just do your best. And remember the dance is supposed to be about having fun. Don't take it too seriously.” She patted Abby's back.

Now Abby wished she hadn't mentioned her concerns to her mom. It figured that she didn't get it. Why should she? It had been ages since Mom was a teenager.

“I'm so impressed with how you and your friends are doing these dances together,” Mom told her as she put the last glass
in the dishwasher. “Your dad and I both feel much better about you dating in groups.”

Abby gave the counter a quick swipe with the dishcloth.

“Do you think you girls will plan another pre-dance dinner?” Mom poured the soap in the dishwasher and closed the door. “You could have it here if you want.”

“I don't know.” Abby laid the dishcloth beside the sink. “But I can check with my friends.”

Mom beamed at Abby. “Now see, aren't you glad we talked? It wasn't such a big deal after all. And I don't see any reason why your dad would be concerned about any of that.”

Abby nodded. She knew she wasn't being a hundred percent honest with her mom. And yet she hadn't said anything untrue either. But, really, parents couldn't expect you to tell them everything, could they?

By Tuesday Abby was still feeling overwhelmed by her assignment to find an appropriate date for Devon. Although none of the other DG members had secured a blind date yet, she could tell they were making progress. But for some reason she felt slightly stuck. Or maybe her mom was right—maybe she was making too big of a deal about it.

On one hand, Abby was tempted to just ask the next guy who spoke to her. And why not? Because, really, no matter who she asked, she felt certain Devon would not approve. But on the other hand, she felt some weird responsibility for the guy she would rope into this. What if he turned out to be a really nice guy who couldn't stand a girl like Devon? Okay, that seemed unlikely . . . but who knew?

During AP English, Abby had her eye on Leonard Mansfield.
He was a quiet, academic guy with short, dark curly hair and sincere brown eyes. He was tallish and a little on the skinny side, but if someone set Abby up with him, she wouldn't complain. Okay, maybe Leonard was slightly nerdish, but he was sweet and genuine and, in Abby's opinion, Devon could do far worse. Especially if you considered how badly Devon's date with Jason had gone. Really, who was Devon to complain? And yet she did.

Abby tried to be subtle as she pointed out Leonard during lunch. “That's Leonard Mansfield,” she nonchalantly told her friends. “I have a class with him and he's really a nice guy.”

“Oh . . . ?” Bryn peered curiously at Abby. “Are you saying
you like him
?”

“More than you like Kent?” Emma asked with a surprised expression.

“I like him as a friend,” Abby clarified. “But I wondered if he might make a good blind date for someone . . . uh,
someone
else
.”

“Ugh.” Devon wrinkled her nose. “You can't be serious, Abby. One of us with
that guy
?”

“Wow, I feel sorry for whoever's name you drew,” Bryn told her. “You didn't get me, did you?” She laughed. “Friends don't let friends date nerds, Abs. You should know that.”

“Leonard's nice,” Abby argued.

“Just the name
Leonard
gives me the creeps.” Devon shuddered.

“What about Leonardo DiCaprio?” Abby protested.

“That's different. Leo is good-looking.” Devon actually pointed at Leonard now. “That guy resembles a scarecrow.” She turned to Cassidy. “Hey, maybe Abby got your name and
she thinks Leonard would make a good scarecrow to go with your Dorothy.” She laughed like this was hilarious.

“He's not so bad,” Emma said, but there was some uncertainty in her voice.

“Maybe you need to get to know him better,” Cassidy suggested.

“That's right,” Abby declared. “You guys just don't know him well enough.”

“And that is exactly how some of us would like to keep it,” Devon retorted.

“That's right,” Bryn told Abby.

“You mean you'd write him off just like that?” Abby pointed indignantly at Bryn. “Because you guys think he looks like a scarecrow? Isn't that a little harsh? I didn't realize you were so narrow-minded and judgmental.”

“Puh-lease, tell me you're not setting me up with him,” Bryn said with a horrified expression. “You wouldn't do that to your best—”

“It's a secret,” Cassidy sharply reminded them
. “Remember?”

“That's right,” Devon said. “No one knows who they're going with until the night of the dance.”

“And maybe we should keep any guys that we're considering for blind dates under our hats too,” Emma suggested. “Otherwise we might not get anywhere with this whole thing.”

“Speaking of getting anywhere, has anyone had any real luck yet?” Devon asked curiously. “I mean with a guy that any of us would actually want to go out with?”

“I talked to a guy today,” Cassidy said carefully. “I think he might have possibilities.”

“Well, I happen to have someone seriously interested,” Bryn said a bit smugly. “At first he told me to forget it, but when I explained that it would be one of us five girls, he promised to think about it. I told him he had until tomorrow to give me his answer.” She chuckled. “I made it clear that he's not the only fish in this sea.”

“Good point,” Devon told her. “And good job.”

“It figures Bryn is going to nail down the first blind date,” Cassidy said a bit dismally. “The poor guy probably thinks he's going to take her to the dance.”

Bryn shrugged. “Hey, I didn't say anything to make him think that.”

As it turned out, Cassidy was right—Bryn was the first one to secure a blind date. Of course, no one but Bryn knew who the mystery guy was or who he was taking to the dance, but by Wednesday morning, there was one blind date down and four to go.

“And I'll bet that I'm the next one to set up a date,” Devon challenged the others as they convened in the locker bay before first period.

“That's a bet I won't be taking,” Emma said glumly.

“Me neither,” Cassidy added. “Turns out that the guy I had in mind already asked someone else.”

Devon pointed at Abby now. “How about you? Oh, I nearly forgot,” she teased, “you're working on the nerdy department, aren't you?”

Abby glared at her. Why did Devon have to be so mean sometimes?

“Guess it's up to you and me then.” Devon locked arms
with Bryn. “Leave it to the women to teach the little girls how it's done.” Then, laughing, she led Bryn away. For some reason that really got to Abby. It was like Devon was trying to take over Bryn . . . like they were becoming best friends and pushing Abby aside. Abby knew it was silly to feel threatened like that. She knew that Bryn was only playing along. But all the same, it hurt.